Oxidative enzyme activities and respective histochemical reactions in ischemic rat myocardium.

To evaluate the diagnostic role of histochemically demonstrated aerobic dehydrogenases in ischemic myocardial injury NADH-diaphorase, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were demonstrated histochemically and the corresponding enzyme activities were measured biochemically in isolated perfused rats hearts after global ischemia from 0 to 12 h. The present data show that the enzyme-histochemical methods when used properly are more sensitive indicators of early ischemic injury than classical histological staining procedures. From the enzymes tested here the histochemical demonstration of HBDH turned out to be best suited for use when suspecting ischemic myocardial injury at autopsy.